Heart of Torment (Breath of Mist Book 2)

T W E N T Y N I N E - Erik

I did not sleep that night, nor any night, it seemed like. Being on this side of the Sidhe mountain walls made nothing better. I was a fool to imagine it would. As if seeing her could have smothered the unease, or at the very least lessened it. Stupid fool. If anything, witnessing what I had made everything worse.

It was breaking me down, and I needed to let it all out.

Shadows surrounded me, covering my skin, and dug into my soul. The shadows begged for bodies. For retribution. As if that were even possible. My conjuring hummed beneath the surface for days, burning to escape, to incinerate the Sidhe King and his court. To burn them out of existence, out of storybooks, leaving not a dusting of their influence on this world.

I sighed, attention shifting to the boy in the bed near mine. He did not sleep either. Just laid there, staring at the ceiling. "Hey, Kid." I kept my voice low so as not to wake every servant in the barrack.

He did not respond, eyes remaining unfocused, staring into oblivion on the ceiling.

With a sigh, I sat. The bed creaked as my weight shifted. I leaned towards him. "Timothy," I said. The name I heard Ariana call him.

"What?" He did not move to meet my eye.

How much do I say? Anything? Ariana seemed to care for this kid, another way for Clause to torment her. Breaking her heart. How much could she withstand before sinking into darkness so profound that she couldn't escape it? I refused to allow my thoughts to continue traveling down that vein. No matter where she went, I would find her, even in that darkness. I would carry her out of it.

"What do you know of what is about to go down?" I asked. My question met with silence. I sighed. "Some shit is about to go down." I stood. "My suggestion is to lie low. Do not engage in the fight, and if you see an opportunity to run and escape this place, take it. And don't look back." I left the kid with that parting advice. Hoping that he was smart enough to heed my warning.

Cautiously stepping out of the barracks, I met with fresh, crisp air. There was not a guard in sight, as if they were not needed in the city at all. All of them circled the parameter. They would soon learn of the errors in that line of thought. We only needed to pierce their defenses and then a clear path to their king.

The sky was lightening before the first rays of light pierced over the horizon.

Paws approached, drawing my attention to the Wolf who would guide me to the position. The short cave that opened into the Sidhe lands was close to the city. Following the wolf, I headed towards the beginning of the end of this nightmare.

By the time we made it to the location, two Sidhe guards lay dead by the entrance, Kole and Eislyn's blades wet with fresh blood.

"It's good to see you," Kole stated, gaze briefly checking to make sure I was whole before training on the surroundings. He was fully in enemy territory now. We all were.

"I take it Ariana is doing well, seeing as you are standing here and the city is not burned to smithereens?" Iver approached with Willis through the cave.

"No, she isn't," I answered and everyone but Willis turned to me with heavy stares. The leader superior's second observed his surroundings before looking at the main castle and our ultimate target.

"As soon as the army funnels through this cave, they will know we are here," Willis stated, shifting the conversation.

I nodded, turning to Iver. "You, Kole, Eislyn, and the Sparrow are a part of the extraction team."

Iver grunted. "I haven't forgotten."

"Get her and get out of there." I

My brother tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "And if she decides she does not want to leave?"

"She will."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Iver," I said his name in warning.

"Then you do what she wishes," Willis stated, his stare boring into me as if daring me to challenge, not him, but her. His leader superior.

A sharp pain sliced through my chest as I finally said, "Do what she wishes." Iver momentarily looked surprised. I turned to Willis. "But I will not stop searching till I find her."

"If she wishes-"

I cut the Bavadrin off. "I promised her I would find her."

"Very well." He withdrew from the matter, not that we had time to continue. Ariana was likely already with him. The monster who did not belong in this world. "Let's go," Willis stated just before the sounds of wolves howling came from the other side of the cave. The signal.

The earth trembled with the running steps of the forces flooding through the cave.

Warriors near the front grunted around me. Some of those in the line froze, abruptly halted, and then fell to the ground. Dead.

Rage burned through my veins, and finally, I did not have to try a hold back. I unleashed myself on those who stood in my way, placing themselves between me and Ariana. The fury within promised death. Conjured fire licked my skin before I sent it forward and out, clearing a path ahead.

"Use the Ribbons!" Iver yelled to the front lines just before another dozen stopped in their tracks, as if running headfirst into something, or in this case, chest first. Blood soaked their shirts from the blades that appeared just before they impaled themselves, going down.

"Pay attention!" I growled. Iver's plans better work or we were going to lose too many of our forces to Mal's tricks.

I pushed forward.

My thoughts became a blur, almost silencing the chaos within. Eradicate the threat. Get to Ariana. End the monster. Those were the only thoughts that could fit in the tight space of my mind. Acting on brutal instinct, I could faintly sense the souls I destroyed in my wake. The rage within me was propelled by fear, making it a wild, uncontrollable force. The terror of losing her for good drove me forward.

I let that terror fuel me, feeding it into the growing flame. A bright storm of fire drove into my surroundings.

Something attempted to smother the flames lining the road as I pressed on, clearing our path. My focus shifted, hand raising to obliterate whoever dared to block us. Moisture caused the flames to hiss at my touch—a water conjuror. Ignoring the distractions, I concentrated on the spot where the fire hissed, willing it to burn hotter.

Voices screamed beyond the hiss. I could not make sense of it over the roar in my ears.

The moisture lessened. And when it nearly went out completely. I withdrew the flame from that section, wishing to see what stood on the other side. My gaze dropped to a-

"Please! Please spare him!" A mother cried, arms wrapped around a boy, tears streaming down her face behind her pressed-shut eyes. Fresh burns marked her arms as she did all she could to shelter the boy's body with her own. Angry and frightened eyes of a boy no older than five years of age held my stare, refusing to look away.

A boy. A child.

The sight drew a clarity that nearly brought me to my knees.

The child fought to free a hand from his mother's hold. Water floated around him, responding to his movements. This was who stood against me?

"Please! I beg of you. Not my baby!" The mother's borderline hysterical screams were like acid to my ears.

I looked around, truly noting the battle. Half of those standing against us were simple civilians. Defending their homes, not knowing that we wanted to help them, not destroy them. We were here to free them, not take from them.

This was wrong.

Iver appeared before me. "I found her."

"Take her and run. We need to retreat," I managed to say before he vanished.

I cursed softly, looking at the destruction I caused to innocent souls who did not know better than to fight for their lives.